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School is a time to learn new skills and prepare for the future, yet surprisingly, one of the most difficult and important skills in life that students may need often goes untaught. That skill is rearing children, and while we have to pass a test to drive a car or to work in certain fields, many become parents with little or no preparation. Mandatory parenting classes for students have the potential to provide many benefits to students and society.

Benefits for Teen Parents

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2011, 329,797 babies were born to high school age moms. While this rate has been declining in recent years, preventing teen pregnancy remains an important priority. Prepare Tomorrow's Parents, a facilitator of teen parenting classes, says the classes expose students to both the demands and the joys of having children and equip them with knowledge to make informed decisions. Students learn that caring for a child is an important responsibility that requires maturity, a stable relationship and financial stability.

Reducing Child Abuse

According to an article in "Time," many pediatricians support parenting classes as a way to reduce child abuse and neglect. They say some child abuse is the result of a lack of knowledge about child development. The classes teach students about how to respond to normal child behavior that can be frustrating, such as tantrums. Prepare Tomorrow's Parents says it is important to reach students in their teen years, when their attitudes about children and discipline are still developing.

Breaking the Cycle

Unfortunately, in many cases of violence, neglect or otherwise bad parenting, the victims are part of a cycle. Much of what we know about raising kids probably comes from our own experience as children, perhaps watching our parents discipline our siblings or being disciplined ourselves. In violent or broken families, students may not have the role models to become successful parents as adults. Effective mandatory parenting classes for students can help break this cycle.

Other Benefits

Anyone who has raised a child knows that it takes a vast skill set, including patience, decision-making skills and even a little bit of creativity, to be successful. Through parenting classes teens from all backgrounds would learn about empathy, critical thinking, responsibility and other important life skills that extend far beyond raising children. Students who must help care for siblings also benefit. According to a parenting class syllabus at Lithonia High School in Georgia, students also study family planning, character development and careers in the child care industry.

About the Author

Houston area native Marie Anderson began writing education articles in 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Science in exercise and sports science and a Master of Science in education administration. She has seven years of teaching and coaching experience within the Texas public school system.